Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
THE Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement, Davis Marapira, is today set to tour the Bulawayo factory of leading animal health products manufacturer and distributor, Coopers Zimbabwe.
The tour by the Deputy Minister is meant to assess the company’s stock levels, production capacity and logistical readiness to ensure a constant supply of acaricides under the Government’s emergency nationwide dipping programme.As the wet season continues, the risk of tick-borne diseases remains a significant threat to the national herd. Coopers Zimbabwe, a key supplier for Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces, will showcase its current stock levels, production capacity and logistical readiness to ensure a consistent supply of acaricides under the Government’s emergency nationwide dipping programme.
Under the National Development Strategy Two (NDS2), the country aims to grow the national herd in order to enhance national nutrition security and stimulate rural economic growth.
Foot-and-mouth disease is another highly contagious viral infection that affects cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, causing fever, blisters in the mouth and hooves, reduced milk production and, in severe cases, death — a development that can lead to devastating economic losses for farmers and disrupt the national livestock industry.
In 2025, more than 60 000 communal cattle were vaccinated against Theileriosis in identified hotspots, while 40 000 received inoculations for Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis.
To ensure all dip tanks remain functional, the Government is rehabilitating 200 existing facilities, constructing 40 new tanks and drilling boreholes at strategic points to guarantee water availability. Trained veterinary extension officers are stationed at ward level to guide farmers and respond rapidly to disease outbreaks.
